New return policy

[u2bella]

This is so unfair to sellers , you now have to offer free returns for 30 days no matter what even mistake by a buyer and you foot the bill for your shipping and you pay buyer shipping back absolutely ridiculous!! I can not belive ebay thinks this is a good idea , I will be looking to other sites to sell ,and will reduce my selling on ebay , I just had a buyer open a case after they told me in email it was there mistake and ebay said I still had to pay both shipping cost because they are no longer close cases even when they know it is buyers fault and policy will go into affect on June 2018. Small businees will be hurt I am not amazon and people will abuse this and sellers will pay!

[triodiode]

So ebay is making there desicion  for us little sellers based on a handfull of  mutil billion dollar companies.  Is this really the market they are basing there stradigy on.?

If I could charge there prices I could give free returns too. I have never bought from these companies and never will there pricing is a joke.

You did forget Wal Mart but there return policy is that you take the item back to there store for returns they dont pay shipping.  They also give free shipping to there store and you go pick it up. If you want it shipped to you,  You pay shipping.

[Anonymous]

That's fine, I'll go with option B, 30 day returns buyer pays shipping. However, NO feedback to buyer until 30 return period is UP!!! 8 )

[lloydsteventaylor]

actually i ordered recently from Walmart on line. my order was greater than $35 so they shipped it to me for free. i didnt like one of the items of the 25 items i ordered and i wanted to return  it. i went through their online return process and i printed out a free shipping label just for that item. i packaged and put it put it in my mailbox and usps picked it up. as soon as Walmart got the item back they credited my card for the price of the item. Return shipping was totally free with no questions asked about why i was returning it.   

makes me want to order from Walmart again.

But here is the big difference from Walmart and selling on Ebay. the items i ordered from Walmart were all owned and fulfilled by Walmart. when i shipped the item back Walmart made the decision to refund me. noone else got involved. 

here ebay wants to get involved in the process. as a seller i own the item and i ship the item. when the item is returned to me it should be totally up to me as to whether the refund is given. Ebay should not be involved at all in that process. If i am a seller on Ebay, Ebay should trust me to treat my buyers fairly. So the issue is that Ebay does not have a valid and functional policy to make sure their sellers will be good sellers. They may have bits and pieces of a policy but nothing that they have implemented in such a way to insure the validity of its sellers. 

take me for example, i have been selling here since 2002. i have over 3000 positive feedback. i am 100%rated. i have a 0% transaction defect rate. i have 0 cases closed without seller resolution. i am top rated. i have bought alot on Ebay(so i know buying). My point is why would Ebay ever side with my buyers over me when a return is made? Ebay has a complete lack of trust in me. Why do they feel the need to get involved with my sales transactions? Doesnt my record here justify to them that I am a trustworthy seller? Its very sad that Ebay doesnt trust the sellers that made Ebay.    

[mn-bargain-man]

Free shipping on returns is here and are is not going away.

We sold a Singer Class 17 manual to a buyer in Spain for $15 and they opted for the USPS flat rate envelope for #35.  We got a ebay return request with reason not as described.  The buyer stated that they thought they were getting a Class 17U43.  The ebay system automatically determined that the seller was at fault and asked seller for the $50 purchase plus a return label for the manual.  Needless to say, we are not going to send him a return shipping label.

We did chat with ebay C/S and he saw immediately what the buyer was up to.  He stated he was unable to do anything as that is the way the system is setup.  I did mention that if this attitude towards sellers continues, we will not ship heavy items or use the expensive shipping options in international shipments.

In May, ebay is asking us to sign up for the free returns program or lose our 10% top rated seller discount (about $40 / month)

In February, we were asked to sign-up for same / next day shipping and ebay would add 10% to our top rate seller discount.  In the fine print, we found we could be liable for late shipping charges which we would have no control over.  We did not opt into that program.

It is quite apparent that ebay is desperate to get back into the lost market share that Amazon and others has taken over.  Desperate management makes desperation decisions.

[max39666]

I Can invision dishonest buyers-scammers just drolling all over themselves  waiting for May to get here-not that many already haven't licked their chops with the buyer protection policy-but this will open even a bigger can of worms. 

 No Doubt E bay wants to be another A Site  and it's dang the sellers--full steam ahead!

[triodiode]

My order was a total of 24.00 for a couple DVD's including the 7.95 shipping. Keep in mind even if you can control your returns with ebay If the customer complains to there CC company you will still loose your money. Pay Pal will just take it from your account . Even if you use your own CC processor you will loose the money. Credt card companies are just as bad.

The problem is even though you own your store you dont own your store ebay owns it.

If you actually owned it you would be able to make your own decisions on everything.

Yes our reputation should have real meaning on ebay but the sad part is that it means very little.

If I dont keep a good reputation in my brick and mortar store that info will get around and I will sell nothing .  I have been selling here since Dec 98 and have over 35,000 feedbacks.

[triodiode]

Ebay is manipulating all of us into free returns They wont do anything about the not as described cases in which the seller is stuck with the return shipping most of the time. They now wont let us charge a restocking fee to help recoup our original free shipping so you might as well do Free returns because your going to pay for it all anyway.  

Free returns are  wrong and actually free shipping is wrong (there is no such thing) it will just invite more scammers and lazy not able to read buyers into the market place.

I will say I do get free shipping from one of my suppliers $ 650.00 minimum order to get it. Any returns I pay for.

[fine_find]

Seller Protection is for after the sale. The Sellers' 'Sellers Protection' will be taking it on the chin for this new rule. I for one will be leaving after that happens as I will not be able to sell here anymore. This store sells stuff that will no longer be wearable in a month because most kids grow out of them in that time frame. My granddaughter changed clothes size ever month sometimes up to 2 sizes. I can just see it now. New clothes forever! Just keep buying and returning and buy some more and return those and on and on and on. If that is going to be eBay's new policy, then a lot of stores will close. So, so sad. 😞

[fine_find]

Okay. Now you're scaring everyone. The 30-day returns is for 'Top Rated Plus' Sellers ONLY. The smaller sellers can breath a sigh of relief. Sorry Top Rated Plus sellers, we all feel your pain. However, you do not HAVE to have it. But it will cause you to loose some of your perks such as your Top Rated 'discount, and badge'. You will need to see how much this is worth to you before deciding. So, you don't actually HAVE to have it, but without it you give up those discounts.

I copied this directly from eBay's new policy. It is below if you want to read it.

Simplified Returns

Streamlined return policy options, and a 30-day free returns requirement for Top Rated Plus benefits.
•Starting in May 2018, we will reduce the number of returns policies.

•Starting June 1, 2018, Top Rated sellers will be required to offer 30-day free returns to be eligible to receive the Top Rated Plus discount and badge. Some category exceptions apply.


Seller Protections

Protections to give you greater control, and support when things don’t go as planned.
•When you offer free returns you’ll be able to offer a partial refund if a returned item has been used or damaged, and eBay will protect you.

[minerva234]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@triodiode wrote:

Hi

I keep hearing that other e commerce stores are doing 30 60 days free returns with free  return shipping. Could you give me a list of some of them because I havent  found any that I buy from.

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Here are the major US retailers that offer free return shipping on all their items, but their free-return window may be as short as 15 days.

1. Zappos ... other smaller shoe retailers do as well (e.g., Shoes.com)
2. Gap (includes Banana Republic & Old Navy)
3. Bed Bath & Beyond
4. Nordstrom
5. Neiman Marcus

I think that's it, aside from smaller shops and some brand stores (e.g., Uggs, Apple)

Amazon offers free return shipping on a lot of their Amazon Fashion stuff, but not on everything they sell.

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This is not correct.  Go to these sites and look up the real stated return policy instead of the rumors eBay cheerleaders pass around as facts.

Shoes.com :

 Though EXCHANGES are usually free...... returns are not

 "Returns are simple, too. If you choose to return for a refund, we'll give you a prepaid return-shipping label and a refund for the amount you paid for the returning item, minus a $6.95 restocking fee per item."

Nordstroms : 

 "Shipping Charges: Unfortunately, we cannot refund shipping charges."

       ( And I have noticed that Nordstroms Rack has cut their return policy back to 45 days.)

Bed Bath and Beyond :

 "Note for All Returns

1. Shipping, delivery and assembly charges are non-refundable."

Gap :

"NOTE: We do not accept C.O.D. deliveries. Additionally, we do not refund original shipping and handling charges."

Neiman Marcus : 

 "Eligible merchandise may be returned FREE if received within 15 days of the delivery date; above exclusions apply.

A return fee of $9.95 will apply for clearance items and items returned after 15 days of delivery."

[needitlikea0inthehead]

We will just have to raise all our selling prices to make up  for the "free returns".  

[triodiode]

That sounds more like it. Big business is not going to loose money on returns. Number one reason they dont have to because if you want what they sell you will buy anyway.

[minerva234]

Overall return policies for dot coms are not the blanket policies like eBay forces its sellers to offer.  For example the one retailer I did not mention is Zappos.  Zappos does indeed have "free shipping and returns" but looks can be deceiving.  Zappos overall has higher prices than most of its competitors,  Then, if you buy something on sale or clearance -  those are "Final Sales".  Rules for free shipping also can change for clearance priced merchandise.  Also Zappos is very picky about the condition of the returns, including the packaging, and tags.  They can and do refuse refunds if the items looks like it was worn, has unattached price tags, does not contain all of the original packing.. and they admit to being a stickler for what they consider to be faulty returns.

All retailers have many conditions on their return policy so that they don't face major losses due to return policy abuse and dishonest buyers.  eBay OTOH has no skin in the game with regards to returns so they forced a blanket one size fits all return policy onto its sellers and then tried to convince them the policy was throughout the industry, while sellers started losing on return BIG TIME and eBay lost nothing.

eBay took control of returns from the hands of the seller and in doing so created a monster worse than what all retailers face.

[vintagecraze50]

The masses are expecting free return shipping on items they do not like, do not want once they receive them. Competitive edge.  Small percentage of renters you will get with this policy. Adjust your prices to cover the losses. 

[vintagecraze50]

Oh yes indeed, the big players are tightening up their returns becuase they have experienced numerous costly abuses to the tune of several millions of dollars of loss per year due to too lenient return policies. Will ebay follow suit? Does not look like it at present. Increase prices by a small amount across your inventory to prepare for losses.